Embracing a Warm Delight

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Okay, that's not a peppermint mocha from Starbucks (didn't have a picture), but it is a frosty from Wendy's, which has nothing to do with this post, but isn't the guy cute? 



Scripture:

Jer. 31:31   The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the LORD,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

Observation:

The promise of the new covenant found in Jeremiah is inspiring and encouraging. In comparison, the law may have been seen as a cold prescription. Now, the new covenant will be a warm delight, touching the very hearts of humankind and transforming them from the inside out. The law was proscriptive, from the outside in. With the advent of the new covenant everything would change and the invitation would be for all people, not just the Jews, to embrace the warm delight and know the Lord. 

Application:

During the Christmas season I love sipping a peppermint mocha from Starbucks. I don’t even drink coffee, but this the one drink that I enjoy around this time of the year. It seems to even taste better on a cold day because I can wrap my hands around the cup and enjoy the warmth as I slowly sip the sweet chocolate and peppermint flavor. When I’m cold, this drink provides warmth from the inside out and makes me feel better. 

The advent of the Messiah is so much better than a peppermint mocha from Starbucks! Think about all the gift cards that we give at Christmas, and many to Starbucks, all that people can enjoy a nice cup of coffee or tea. But do we give out more of these gifts than we do the real gift of Christmas? What about the eternal warm delight of knowing Jesus? 

Embracing the warm delight of the Messiah is contagious. This is good news for everyone who is suffering from the cold prescription of trying to get things right on our own. This will leave us empty and frustrated. The Lord wants to make a difference in every one of our lives, wrapping us in his warm embrace the will drive away the cold. The light is dawning, the warmth is beginning to fill the house, so let’s invite others in to join us on this journey. Share the warm delight — it’s better than Starbucks.

Prayer:

Lord, may the focus of my heart and life be upon you, Lord, and your warm delight. Please, help me to share that delight with others today. Amen. 

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